i thought you looked familiar…

of course copycat fashion is nothing new, especially to those avid h&m fans such as myself. it even seems like a trademark of our generation, which could be good, and bad. high style for the masses, but at what expense to the real designers?
target, topshop, forever21, h&m – all these stores have built their modern empires on theiving ideas from designers and selling them for a fraction of the price. it’s brilliant, really. fashion plagarism is much easier to get away with than stealing someone else’s term paper, and a lot more lucrative.
for me it’s a bit of a moral crux. but one that’s easily overcome, decided by the contents of my wallet. sure, i love alexander wang. but do i have 300 dollars to fork over in support of his creative endeavors? helllls no. so back i go to those shining meccas of budget fashion. and truly i do believe that it is essentially a good idea to bring high fashion to those who have the appreciation but lack the funds. i will freely admit that i have purchased plenty of items whose inspiration i could easily guess, or who followed a definite trend. and that is great. i like to think of it in a marxist way, yknow? us poor folks are overthrowing those bourgeosie designers and taking what we deserve. everyone has a right to high fashion! vive la revolution! but when it gets as close as this, well i’m not sure.
i am definitely of the “fashion is art” school. and i don’t think van gogh would appreciate someone going around selling a paint by numbers version of starry night. but while van gogh is dead and gone, alexander wang [lucky for us, and topshop] is still alive and kicking, and designing and getting ripped off.
i often wonder how designers feel when they see some cheaply made rendition of one of their pieces walking down the street. is it the bastard child they never wanted to come knocking at their door? or is it like a little ego boost to know that you were the original who inspired that outfit worn by an admiring but penniless college student? hmm. i’d love to know.
to reconcile my morals and elitism with my destitution, i tell myself that as long as i know who’s original idea this $30 polyester rag was inspired by, it’s okay. but really i dream of a day when i can support my favorite designers and assuage my style snobbery by buying the real deal. until then, i’ll be at the mall. sorry alex.